When I think about Italian-made cycling products, I almost always think about road racing gear. Swinging by the Fulcrum booth at Interbike this year changed my perspective. After looking over the lineup of wheels they are sporting for mountain as well as road, I knew that I had to set up a few reviews!

I manged to get my hands on Fulcrum’s top-shelf DH wheelset: the sexy Red Fire.

Tech

With their machined rims and straight-pull spokes, an untrained eye may mistake the Red Fires for a red set of another familiar brand that paints their DH wheels yellow.

Fulcrum’s Red Fire wheels don’t just hide behind fancy red anodizing, though – these wheels are something that any serious rider should take a good look at. Starting at the rim, the Red Fire has some important technical features which enables these wheels to handle serious abuse. The most obvious is the milled inner surface, designed to remove weight where it is not needed, while keeping plenty of material around the 32 asymmetrically-drilled eyelet-less holes.

Note: the holes do not go through to the inner rim surface, making these rims UST compatible. Not only is the inner surface not drilled, but the added safety ridges keep the tires firmly in place even at lower pressures (I ran them as low as 22 psi). To facilitate installation when running UST tires, the inner profile has a smooth, curved drop center which allows for both ease of installation and seating of the tire.

To ensure the rim stays round, the Red Fires are welded and milled to increase hoop life and strength. The easy-to-source stainless steel butted straight-pull spokes by Sapim are a great additional feature for this wheelset, so getting a few spares from your LBS shouldn’t be an issue (266 mm). Both front and rear wheels are laced up with 32 spokes in a conventional three-cross pattern.

The wheels feature beefy large-diameter aluminum hubs which house the industrial bearings in double rows on each side of the hub, with a few more in the cassette body for good measure. Speaking of the cassette body, the steel body runs a 3 cam pawl spring arrangement similar to that of the popular Easton Havoc series. What sets these apart is the locking bearing adjustment, which is a nice touch and well-worth the extra 6 grams or so that it adds. The front 20mm and rear 12mm through-axles round out the package and ensure that you’re getting a solid-performing duo.

Installation

In the box you get instructions, tire levers, spoke tools and a small stub of a nipple. Do not toss these parts out! The little nipple is magnetic, and the powerful earth magnet that is supplied (also in the package) is used to move your spoke nipples into place in the off chance that you break a spoke. So keep that gear safe.

Installing a set of UST tires on the Red Fires was a snap. I normally use an air compressor to mount tubeless tires, but using a quality floor pump like a Topeak Mountain will work with these tight rims. The inner 23mm width is generous enough to form a decent profile. I typically use 2.4 – 2.5″ tires and both have no issues with squirming on the rim or ballooning.

Although you can install a regular non-UST tire on these wheels, why would you? This is a question that my inner circle of friends have all asked themselves, and now they are running UST tires (those that can afford UST wheels). We all agree that it seems like the best way to go. I went with Muddy Mary and Fat Albert tires and using just a floor pump, it took little effort to snap the beads into place (spray a bit of soapy water on the bead first). A cassette and rotors was next, and away I went!

The Test

Testing was done at a smallish hill that my friends and I frequent that’s not well known to many besides a few core riders. This place has all the elements a larger hill has – from rock gardens to table jumps to big step ups and step downs to some of the best groomed, high speed berms in this part of Ontario. The only problem is there isn’t a lift… so down you fly… and up you trudge.

I was out shredding with a number of other riders whose opinions I really trust (including Bob_the_Builder), and we had a real go of it!  The first thing I noticed is the super-silent cassette body. I was kind of worried that it wasn’t working because it was so quiet! The engagement on the cassette is bang-on, like Easton and Mavic, requiring very little movement of the crank to engage. Definitely a positive point.

I hardly noticed the 2,200 gram weight. Standing alone on its own merits, I would say this is a fast-rolling set of wheels (stay tuned for a shoot-out test in the future). With a few pedal strokes and gravity on my side, these hoops helped propel the bike up to speed in no time.

Due to the relatively low weight, stopping these wheels is a non-issue. The Red Fire did very well on the big hits and rock gardens, with no signs of damage despite plowing them (sensibly) through rock gardens and sessioning step-downs and jumps over and over again. I was impressed at how laterally stiff the wheels felt when tossing the bike in the berms. Some wheels with straight-pull spokes tend to ping a tad if the wheel bends – but not these – which is a testament to how well-built and strong a wheel can be made. I have not had to turn a spoke to date: the Red Fires are still spinning smooth and free of dents!

All in all this is a great wheel set! They aren’t the lightest out there, but they hold up well to abuse and offer excellent performance. A pair will set you back around $960 and are priced similarly to the other top brands.

A big thanks to the folks at Fulcrum for sending the Red Fires down for review. Stay tuned for more from Fulcrum, and be ready for a wheel shoot-out in the near future!

A little bird answered my prayers. Just the other day I was thinking to myself: “Self, you’ve got this great Gary Fisher Collection Rig single speed. Why don’t you buy the drive side sliding dropout with a derailleur hanger and make yourself a whoopass 1×9 trail destroyer?” Well, for that I would need a rear derailleur, shifter, cassette and wheelset up to the task. I took a peek in the parts bin; lo and behold I found a SRAM XO rear “mech” (as poncy British folk call it), an XO shifter, and a fancy-schmancy 9-speed cassette. Check, check, check. Now where do I find suitable wheels? Shazam! Novatec comes through in the clutch with a set of their TX 29ers, a set of straight-up XC wagon wheels perfectly suited to my project specifications.

Weigh in:

 

Front / rear. Weights include standard QRs.

For reference, Shimano has an XT 29er wheelset that weighs 1867g. You could make up the weight difference by having a nut surgically removed, or taking a pre-ride restroom constitutional. Either way, the TX wheels are in the “ball” park. Teehee.

The look: these wheels are very pretty. With red anodized hubs and over-sized non-drive side flanges they look high end for sure. Style points are lost with the decal graphics though; they scream “I’m not a graphic designer, but how hard could it be?” Another odd feature is the machined rim bed with wear indicator. Apparently Novatec used a non disc-specific rim but the decals wrap onto the braking surface, so you’d need to do some modifications if you desire v-brakes (remember those?).

Some assembly notes: when I was installing the cassette I noticed the steel insert on the aluminum freehub body. Novatec calls their version of this technology ABG for Anti Bite Guard. It is an elegant way to save some grams while preventing all your pedaling torque from doing this to your delicate parts:

 

Also worth noting is the hand-built goodness that comes with every wheelset of this quality level. There’s a set of beautifully machined inserts for running a standard QR, or 9 or 15mm through axles up front. They spin on Japanese EXO cartidge bearings (2 front, 4 rear). Sapim Laser double butted spokes join hub to rim, and in addition to being hand laced and hand stress-relieved, they come with some very official documentation of the post-build testing that is carried out.

Numbers! Charts! Graphs!

The ride: These wheels were a vast improvement over my stock 2011 Rig wheels in terms of weight and stiffness. It is a great feeling to be able to spin up with less effort and then rail through the corners knowing that you’ll be able to hold that line. The freehub engagement is precise, and the pawls provide a really pleasing, medium-volume “angry bees” kind of soundtrack to accompany your shred session. After at least 25 rides on my local trails with some sloppy lines and cased landings they are still as true as the day they came out of the box. Even if I were over the 90kg recommended rider weight limit, I have a feeling these wheels would provide lots of happy, snappy, drama-free spinning. If your upgrade budget has room for these ($549, plus $100 shipping), I would say it’s a great way to drop some weight, add some flash, and get a versatile set of hoops under your bike.

What can I say? Wisconsin has a lot of corn.

Thanks to the folks at Novatec for providing these 29er wheels for review.

Interbike is a fascinating place, and if you ever get the chance to stroll through the booths you will find tons of fascinating products. Jeff and I were both really impressed with some of the things we saw, and at other times we were thoroughly unimpressed by some of the downright-ridiculous designs. We made sure to swing by most of our usual stops to chat with folks such as e*thirteen, Fox, iXS, Spank, SRAM, Shimano, Intense, Santa Cruz, Osprey, THE, and Easton. Interbike is seriously the greatest when it comes to getting a sneak peak at the latest gear and talking with your favorite riders.

e*thirteen

One of my first stops was at the e*thirteen booth. It’s hard to believe you can improve on such a great crank, but e*thirteen managed to squeeze 60 grams out of last year’s design by using an alloy axle and machining a little bit off the spider here and there. Not only did the crank just go through a weight reduction, but they also managed to change up the bottom bracket, making it more durable and easier to install.

Along with the cranks, there are two clever new pedals from e*thirteen: the LG1+ and LG1R. The pedals feature an alloy body, plates that attach to the pedal, and user-selectable 4mm or 7mm pins. The LG1R has titanium spindles and pins while the LG1+ features chromoly. The difference in weight between the two pedals is 88 grams (380g and 468g, respectively).

Race Face

Hard Goods

Race Face was at the show, but you had to look really hard to find their booth. Essentially the hard goods line-up has changed ever so slightly with the introduction of the Chester cranks. The Chester is basically Race Face’s entry-level DH crank, the Respond is their mid-level, and the Atlas is their top-tier DH crank.

Race Face is also getting ready to launch the SIXC, which is a new DH crank modified with a longer-than-average axle. The SIXC cranks will be lighter than the new XO DH coming out from SRAM and the rubber boots are a nice addition meant to save the crank ends from damage.

Soft Goods

I spent some time talking with Wendy from Race Face and she was proud to show off some of the clothing and protection that will be offered for next year. It looks like the trend is toward simple colors with large contrasting logos and neat argyle prints (kind of like the Singletracks jersey). Needless to say, Wendy (who also does the design work) has done a great job at making gear that will look cool for both men and women.

The new trend in MTB armor is softer, more flexible pieces and Race Face is on the ball with their Flank line-up. This soft wrap-around leg armor features a ton of excellent elements such as D3O on the impact points of the knee and shin and a Terry Cloth liner.

Stay tuned for more from RaceFace in the near future.

Niterider

A brilliant example of lighting at Interbike was Niterider. With all their lights out on display, this booth really was a beacon in a sea of bike gear. Niterider’s best and brightest, the Pro 3000 LED, uses 6 large Cree LEDs and a massive Li-Ion battery; the whole package retails for less than $700. Along with the top model, Niterider has a light for just about every budget, including both rechargeable and non-rechargeable units. I had a chance to talk with Tom, the founder of Niterider, and it seemed that we both shared the same passion for good lighting systems and the conviction that there really weren’t any good bike lights available when Niterider started out.

FSA

FSA was displaying all of their 2012 gear nearby and the smell of high quality, nicely-finished carbon saturated the booth. The K-Force and SL-K gear for the XC-Trail rider may be a good idea for those looking to save some weight. I really appreciated the extensive use of uni-directional carbon in the products that were on display. The cranks feature a spine of aluminum to keep things stiff along with the monocoque structure that you see. With other carbon goodies in the form of bars, seat posts and stems, FSA was out to impress.

Ritchey 29er

Despite not being a big 29er fan, I just had to stop and stare a while at this beautiful 29er by Ritchey. For one thing, I owned one way back in the day that was made by Tom Ritchey himself, and my bike had the same “America F*$@ ya” paint job. I kinda miss that bike, and this beautiful ride, although very modern, still has that classic look to it. I found myself wishing I had the cash to pick one up.

From the integrated seat post clamp, to the adjustable rear dropouts that allow you to go either singlespeed or geared, to the highly-polished look, this bike really is a stunner. It’s a steel frame and has a projected cost of $999 (frame only). Depending how you build it up, you can get weights down to 21lbs for a single or 23lbs if you’re going with gears.

THE

THE was showing off their new colors for this year’s T2, along with some cool armor and gear. There’s a decent mix of mild to wild color schemes for you.

Loaded Precision

Loaded Precision was showing off a few new components for this year with their signature series wheels and pedals. For those of you who are interested, they will have a 150mm rear axle available soon in addition to all the present wheel configurations… and in a variety of colors to really pimp your bike out. Anthony from Loaded also mentioned the growing number of products in their XC line-up, including some fire-red 29er wheels!

Topeak

Topeak was there showing off their vast array of pumps and gear. Some interesting additions included a new chain tool called the Link Meister which is geared toward serious users and shops. The head on the Link Meister adjusts so that you can get the pins out perfectly straight without messing things up, thanks to an adjustable shoulder which cradles the chain in the link separator. A really robust set of mud guards for suspension bikes caught Jeff’s eye as well as mine. It may have been sheer fascination about the whole idea, but I have to say they looked pretty sweet. I was thinking about tossing a pair on my DH bike…

For the Apple fanboys and fangirls out there, Topeak showed an iPhone 4 (and now iPhone 4S) compatible stem mount. Unlike the other iPhone handlebar mounts we’ve seen and used, this one put the phone front and center and leaves a cut-out for the phone’s camera. Not only can you use your iPhone as a GPS/cycling computer, now you can use it as a POV camera. Brilliant!

Randomness

When you go to Interbike, you will inevitably come across some oddities along with all the cool ideas. Below is one such product in the making (which type is it? that’s up to you). Still a prototype, this 4-wheeled pedal bike features full independent suspension using Rock Shox Monarchs. As Jeff and I chatted with the owners, we did see many places were weight could be removed. Presently this bike is pushing over 50lbs.

Azonic

Azonic proudly displayed the Outlaw wheels, which have been their staple product for many years and are now available in a 29er version and in an expanded color line. Along with that were bars and stems in the same color patterns for that perfect match.

Azonic has partnered up with O’neal to produce some cool looking threads and skid lids. Their focus seems to be all about color and a mix of retro patterns with modern graphics.

Twenty6

Before the show started, I got an invitation to visit Twenty6. Twenty6 is a small, high tech company that machines kick ass gear. Not only is the gear super slick, but they also have some rich color choices.

Below is just a sample of different color options. I’ll have a review written up soon on the Predator pedals, so stay tuned!

Pro Riders

Remember when I mentioned that Interbike offers access to celebrity riders? Well, great riders like Matt Hunter and Darren Berrecloth were at the iXS booth for a while signing posters and chatting it up.

I even got to spend a little while chatting with Matt. Having limited time, I just had to ask him how he did a particular jump in Seasons where he boosted off a kicker into a loose wall of dirt… it looked absolutely crazy! I got him to talk about how he felt going into it for the first time. It turns out a mix of confidence and fear with a bunch of adrenaline thrown in motivated him. I was really impressed to hear that he is human like the rest of us. Just in case you’re wondering, you can meet Matt in Whistler yourself during the summer months at the Summer Gravity Camp.

iXS

Speaking of iXS, they had a great line up of new 2012 gear on display. With a huge range of colors and improvements, I can’t wait to see when they will all be available. The new METIS shown below looks even better up close. The additional pad in back provides a perfect mating to a Leatt brace, and it provides excellent ventilation.

Not only does iXS make cool helmets, but they also produce a bunch of hemispherical goggles that really rock. They offer a dozen graphic styles to match or clash your helmets. iXS’s gloves and clothing are definitely something to behold. This is one website you must visit.

Spank

Spank had a bunch of shiny, new parts on display as well. They had a prototype stem that I thought looked absolutely amazing! The stem was beautifully CNC-machined, but I was told by Gavin Vos, the co-owner of Spank, that it is just a sample and that the final forged unit will be even stronger. The introduction of complete wheels from Spank also really peaked my interest. Even though I have no issues lacing up my own wheels, a complete solution with both hubs and rims is something I personally like.

The new Spike bar with another Spike stem prototype on display.

Speaking of Spike, stay tuned for a review of the new Spike pedals which, based on my initial rides, are excellent. These beasts have forged bodies with 20 pins on a true flat / thin body. How thin? 12mm to be exact. Not the thinnest, but in practical terms you can’t get much thinner without sacrificing strength.

In a previous post we talked a bit about wheels. Well, Spank has a few wheel sets bound to suit your riding style. The Spike and Spoon wheels look excellent with a bunch of innovative features like the BeadNip profile, the OhhBah inner wall, and zero eyelet construction. Again, Gavin explained why they decided to go without eyelets. They thought, “Why drill an extra large hole and add an eyelet, when precision drilling the holes with the correct angle will make a better interface and stronger wheel?”

Kore

Kore had a bunch of glossy parts out on display as well as a neat prototype of a new 35mm-diameter bar. They aren’t trying to set another standard just for the heck of it, but they reason that with bigger hit bikes, there is a real need for stronger gear that is more resistant to fatigue.

SRAM

One of my last Interbike stops was with SRAM. I talked with Tyler Morland for a while, and he showed off all the goodies to me. SRAM knows how to deliver! For one thing they had celebrities there with their bikes. Can you name the rider pictured below?

You know you done good when you have a tire named after you, like Danny Hart. Danny was around with his Giant showing off all the SRAM gear.

SRAM had all their components on display with new colors like the XO Silver, and there were other new additions to the line up like the XO DH chainring and bashguard.

Jeff and I both agree that the new X5 Group could be a game-changer next year. It looks like X9 but at a much lower price point. Tyler pointed out that essentially these two groups are the same and that the reduced pricing is a result of changes in materials. You will probably start seeing these on bikes in the $800 range – nice gear at a cheaper price point.

Shifting looks very X9ish as well.

The biggest story with SRAM is that you will have two more choices on gear for a total of 4 gear ranges for the chainrings: the original 42-28, 39-26, and now a lower 38-24 and an even lower 36-22. Another important set of products that SRAM will be releasing are easy-to-get repair kits for all your forks, shocks, and other gear.

Santa Cruz

The final stop that I had to make was Santa Cruz bikes. Like SRAM, you couldn’t miss this gorgeous booth with wall-to-wall wood and bike porn. Not to mention that Greg Minnar, Steve Peat, and Josh Bryceland were on hand as well.

Below are three of my favorite Santa Cruz bikes from the show:

The new carbon Nomad. This bike already was made even stronger than the aluminum version of the V10.

The new Carbon V10.

I got all goose-bumpy when I saw this rig! And to think that you can literally jump an entire highway with this bike and it’s still lighter than some XC bikes. What a testament to the strength found in newer carbon structures.

Santa Cruz Tallboy.

I have a lot of respect for this bike; the Tallboy is the bike that really turned me onto 29ers. A few people I know have this bike and they work magic on it–it climbs like a billy goat!

Well folks stay tuned for more – I hope to get a few more Interbike pics posted of even more sweet mountain bikes!

At Interbike this year many companies had brand new hoops to show boasting lighter weights, tubeless compatibility, increased stiffness/durability, and additional 29er offerings.

Fulcrum Red Power 29 SL

Easton and Mavic are going at it head to head with a bunch of new wheels for 2012. Both companies are offering feather-light wheel sets and also UST rims and straight pull spokes. DT-Swiss and Fulcrum are both coming out with complete wheel sets; DT is even offering a complete range of their Tricon wheels (mixing cross with radial lacing, also known as Crow’s Foot lacing). Speaking of spokes, or lack thereof, 28, 24, and 20 spoke pattern mountain bike wheels seem to be becoming more common.

I’ve also noticed a new interest in cassette body engagement features among wheel companies. Nearly everyone I came across is using 3 or more cam pawls for quicker, more positive engagement.

EC90 Carbon 29er wheel set from Easton.

Ritchey WCX Vantage II: Tubeless-ready carbon 29er wheels weigh in at 1537 grams and $1999 MSRP.

In the materials arena, scandium and carbon are showing up more often in mountain bike rims. Speaking of carbon, there are some super sweet carbon wheels out there. Now if you’re questioning the durability of carbon, most of the well designed MTB wheels with carbon rims can take bigger hits without damage compared to the aluminum versions. Yes, right now carbon wheels cost almost as much as college tuition but they typically hold out much better than aluminum due to the higher strength of materials.

e13 TRS+ scandium rim 29er trail wheels (middle)

Companies are also focusing on making stronger MTB wheels. e*thirteen by the Hive, for example, released a series of wheels for 2012 using Chub hubs. With their own custom rim profile that will work with tubeless tires (tape needed) and using braised eyelets instead of riveting, these look promising. Even the cassette body is burly: using tool steel (very tough) and higher quality springs in the engagement portion of the cassette body, riders get 6° degrees between resounding “clicks” (or should I say clacks!).

Spank is another company that is set to release a complete mountain bike wheel set. The wheels will feature an exclusive rim profile cut to run without eyelets while keeping the contact a perfect 360° degrees around the spoke hole plus a hook bead that will take a dig while reducing pinch flats. Novatec is another lesser-known brand that is starting to make waves with a rim for every riding style. Look for new lighter, stronger, and more affordable wheels from Novatec in the near future.

Some of the big names in wheels from overseas have admitted they’re behind the game in bringing a lightweight 29er wheel set to market. Expect to see more of these companies offering new designs that rival the 29er wheels available today.

Formula Volo XC 29er: 1437 grams for the set. 24 spoke, QR/Q15 axle.

Another trend in 29er wheels is the move toward more all-mountain / trail oriented wheel sets. In fact at this point there are probably more choices of 29er trail wheels than 29er trail bikes but everyone seems to agree this is where things are heading. Look for burlier 29er wheels with reasonable weights coming in 2012.

Azonic Outlaw 29er: Classic wheel set goes big.

Loaded AMXC 29er wheel.

Crankbrothers Cobalt 29er wheels (no “cobalt blue” to be found on these wheels)

What do you see as the next trend in MTB wheels? How do you feel about more complete wheels showing up on the mid-level to higher-end mountain bikes? Much more Interbike coverage coming!

Way back in the dark cold wintery month of March I posted an “On Test” article about the hardware in the WTB LaserDisc Trail 29er wheelset.  Several hundred miles of dirt have passed beneath the wheels since then, and I’m ready to post the final review.

These aren’t the lightest wheels available, but they’re stiff and strong.

Pros

These wheels are overbuilt, strong, and stiff.  I purposely rode these wheels hard through rougher lines than I would normaly choose just to see if I could knock them out of true.  No luck.  They’ve caught plenty of air at FATS, and plowed through miles of rock gardens on the Pinhoti trail.  They’re still perfectly true.  No problems with the hubs either, they’re still smooth and spin a long time.  The freehub in the rear wheel is quiet, making only a faint clicking noise when coasting along.

Wide and stiff rims help improve tracking over rough terrain.

The LaserDisc wheels feel great in the corners thanks to the stiff build and high spoke tension that keeps them from flexing.  They have a wider rim than my usual wheelset which spreads out the tire a bit and lets the sidewalls provide more support, which meant I could use less air pressure than normal to get the same ride feel.  It also puts more tread in contact with the dirt which helps with grip in the corners.  When I was using tubes I did occasionally bang the rim into roots/rocks but, surprisingly, there were no ill effects.  I never pinch flatted and the rims have no dents.  I only did that few times however, as I converted the wheels to tubeless for the majority of the test period (more on that later).

I’m not a fan the over branded, almost NASCAReque, look of many modern wheels, so I appreciate the subtle all black look of the WTB LaserDisc Trail wheels.  Black never goes out of style.

Cons

Weight, tubeless use, and bang for the buck are the only things I can complain about with these wheels.  One of the biggest areas of concern people have about 29er wheels is that they’ll be heavier and harder to accelerate.  These wheels won’t do much to help debunk that notion – especially when compared to lighter, more XC-oriented wheels.  They’re about half a pound heavier per wheel than my usual wheelset and the difference is very noticeable – these are more difficult to get up to speed. For less than the full asking price of $680 for the set you can find lighter tubeless-ready wheels with similar design goals.  Finally, the front axle cannot be converted to different standards (mine is the 15mm thru-axle version).

Tubeless Use

There’s good and bad news here with regards to running these wheels tubeless.  The bad news is the wheels are NOT designed to be used tubeless, and doing so probably voids the warranty.  The good news is they work well converted to tubeless using the Gorilla tape ghetto method I explained in this how-to article.  I used Specialized 2Bliss Ready tires and they worked perfectly – I was even able to inflate them using just a floor pump.

The rear hub is nice and quiet, if you’re into that sort of thing.

Verdict

The LaserDisc Trail wheels are strong, stiff, and reliable.  However, they aren’t very light, they’re not officially tubeless-ready, and a little expensive for what you get in my opinion.  Lightweight XC racers should look elsewhere as other options might work better for them.  But, for heavier or more aggressive all-mountain riders, these could be just the ticket – especially if you can find them on sale.

Thanks to the folks at WTB for providing these wheels for review.

Josh rolls into the trailhead parking lot, five minutes early for the weekly group ride. Almost everyone else is already there, putting bikes together and doing standard pre-ride maintenance.  Matt is already pedaling around on his Jabberwocky, extolling the beautiful simplicity of riding a steel frame with 29″ wheels and only one miserable gear to anyone who will listen.

As Fitch puts away his shock pump after fine-tuning the air pressure in his massive fork, Josh notices that he is wearing his favorite pair of baggies, complete with a hole over the left butt cheek from a nasty wreck into a thorn bush on last week’s ride. Fitch wouldn’t ride a hardtail if his life depended on it.

“Everyone’s bike is different,” John thought.”Every bike is so different, that being different is almost ordinary. Is there any component or bike out there that is truly original anymore?”

In a sport that is rooted in rebellion and bucking the system, the quest to stand out from the crowd is deeply ingrained. The individualistic streak runs so deep in the mountain biker’s psyche that he even strives to stand out from the crowd of his fellow riders.

But in a subculture rooted in individualism with everyone riding a different style or brand of bike, how do you up the ante and truly make your mountain bike a unique machine?

Enter Dirty Dog

Dirty Dog’s mission is to do precisely that:

To make high quality, high performance components that look unlike anything else in the marketplace. Our theme is to, ‘Leave Your Mark,’ or stand out in the crowd. There are so many incredible bikes to choose from, but most are built up with standard component groups. DirtyDogMTB allows you to express yourself.

The Web Rotors

Dirty Dog hooked me up with a snazzy pair of Web rotors to review. At 160 mm (6″) in diameter, these rotors are at home on either my FS trail bike or my 29er. Weighing in at 109 grams, they are both stylish and weight conscious.

Installation is a snap: just take off the old rotors and put on the new ones, tightening the bolts down incrementally in a star-shaped pattern.

On The Trail

The web rotors’ performance was spot-on out on the singletrack. Stopping power was just as good as all of my other 160 mm rotors, thanks to a modern wave pattern providing maximum heat-shedding abilities.

While stopping the bike is a mandatory feature of any brake rotor, the Webs really do bring that “bling” factor to the playing field. These rotors are seriously original, and they do add that little bit of personal touch to an often overlooked part of the bike.

At an MSRP of $38.95 per rotor, this is both a stylish upgrade and a relatively affordable one!

More Rotors from Dirty Dog

Compared to some of Dirty Dog’s newer rotor offerings, the design of the Web rotor is pretty tame (though more affordable).

Check out some more of their rotor designs:

Bone Burner, MSRP $68.95 in 160 mm size

Dragon, MSRP $68.95 in 160 mm size

Skull, MSRP $68.95 in 160 mm size

Ace of Spades, MSRP $68.95 in 160 mm size

If you are looking to customize the snot out of your mountain bike, be sure to pick up a pair of Dirty Dog rotors!

Thanks to Dirty Dog for providing these rotors for review!

A little while ago I posted an article on Tubeless MTB tires.  In it, I briefly mentioned a DIY method for going tubeless:  the ‘ghetto’ method.  As it turns out, there are two different ghetto methods people seem to be using.  One involves using a tube as a rim strip, the other involves using Gorilla tape instead.  The Gorilla tape method is much lighter, and seems like it would be much easier, so I decided to give it ago on the WTB LaserDisc Trail 29er wheels I have on test (full review coming soon!).  I used a Specialized 2Bliss ready tire, thinking the tubeless-ready bead would be better suited to this possibly risky set up.  I’ve got over 100 miles of hard riding and racing on the conversion and have had zero issues so far, so I thought it was time to put together a how-to for those interested in trying it themselves.

Disclaimer:  It Might Not Work!

One word of caution – depending on your rim and tire combination this may not work for you, and could be dangerous.  I HIGHLY recommend you use a tubeless-ready tire and try the conversion on the rear wheel first, and ride it for a while before converting the front wheel.  If the tire comes off the rear wheel while you’re riding there’s a good chance you’ll be able to ride it out and not crash.  If it comes off the front wheel however, you’re probably about to eat a dirt sandwich.  TRY THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK!  I also recommend doing some research online to see if others have had success with your particular rim.

What You Need

-Rubbing Alcohol
-Clean rag or paper towel
-Gorilla Tape – I found a 1″ wide ’Handy Roll’ that was the perfect width for my rims.  Do NOT use regular duct tape, it isn’t strong enough
-Old tube or tubeless valve stems
-Scissors
-Knife
-Tubeless tire sealant
-You may also need some soapy water and either a spray bottle or rag

Step 1 – Rim Prep

The tape will stick best to a clean rim.

-Remove the tire and tube currently on the rim
-Remove the factory rim strip
-Clean the inside of the rim using the rubbing alcohol and rag/paper towel
-Let dry

Step 2 – Valve Stem Prep (not needed if using tubeless valve stems)

I used presta valves cut out of a tube.

-Take the old tube and cut the valve stem out using scissors.
-Leave enough rubber at the base so the valve won’t pull through the rim, but not so much it interferes with the tire’s bead.
-Test install – it should sit completely down in the rim’s center channel.

Step 3 – Tape it Up

The tape should be pressed firmly all the way around the rim, with no air bubbles.

-You’ll need to tear the Gorilla tape to a certain width, slightly wider than the rim.
-It should be wide enough that when you put it on the rim it reaches into each bead hook, but not up the sides/top of the bead hook.  For my LaserDisc rims the 1″ wide roll of tape was perfect.
-Put the tape in the rim all the way around, with about 6″ of overlap, 3″ on either side of the valve hole
-When installing the tape be sure to stretch it tight, and make sure it goes on straight.  Press it down into the center channel, and run a tire lever around the bead hook, pressing the tape down firmly.
-Use the knife to make an ‘X’ cut over the valve hole so you can install the valve.
-Optional:  You may want/need to install a tire/tube and let it sit overnight, this will put pressure on the tape and make sure it stays in place and adheres in the center channel.

Step 4 – Tire Mount and Test

The valve should sit inside the center channel, not up in the bead hook where it will interfere with the tire.

-Install the valve in the rim.
-Mount the tire onto the rim – do not add any sealant yet.
-See if you can get the tire inflated.  You may need to use the soapy water to lubricate the bead so it can slide into place.  I was able to get mine inflated with a floor pump, but did need a bit of soapy water.  In some cases you may need an air compressor.
-DO NOT INFLATE TO MORE THAN 40PSI – the tire could blow clean off the rim.  This could damage the tire bead, and will likely leave your ears ringing for a while.

If you can’t get the tire to inflate at all (or if it won’t hold air very long even though it does inflate) you’re probably done – it doesn’t look like this will work with your tire/rim combo.  Head to the LBS and pick up a Stans Conversion Kit.

Step 5 – Seal it up

Stans – the magic goo that makes tubeless possible.

-Let the air out of the tire.
-Unhook one bead enough so you can add the recommended amount of sealant.
-Re-inflate the tire.  Use more soapy water if you need to.
-Follow the shake procedures used any time you mount a tubeless tire.  Don’t know what that means?  Check out this video on the No Tubes site, skip ahead to 7:55 to see the shake procedure.  This will splash sealant up onto the bead and tire sidewall, and the sealant will seal any leaks, leaving you with an air-tight set up.

Go Ride!

Take it easy at first, keeping your speed low just in case this isn’t a safe set up with your rim/tire.  Put some side load into the tire (lean the bike WAY over beneath you, lock up the rear wheel and skid sideways, etc.) to see if the bead will unseat.  If not, you’re good to go!  Enjoy your cheap and light tubeless set up.

Cleaning your bike after a ride can feel like a buzz kill but it doesn’t have to take forever. Follow these tips and you’ll get the job done quickly without damaging your bike.

1. Get your mountain bike dirty

One of the reasons people end up doing more damage than good while washing their mountain bike is because they wash it too frequently. Just because there is a little speckling of dirt on the down tube does not mean you need to bust out the scrub brushes… it’s a mountain bike people. But if your bike is truly dirty, give it a bath.

2. Find a place to wash it

For many people who own homes, this is easy: just haul out the garden hose and get washing. But for those of us who live in an apartment or who live the nomadic mountain biking dream, finding a hose isn’t always so easy.

Nowadays, many of the popular purpose-built mountain biking trail systems have a bike wash stand right at the trailhead: this is perfect! If your favorite trail doesn’t have a wash stand I suggest heading on over to your local bike shop. Most shops are more than happy to let you wash your bike for free. (If they aren’t, it might be time to find a new LBS.)

3. Find some brushes and rinse

Purchasing a brush set is relatively inexpensive, and if you are already heading to the LBS to wash your bike, why not buy one while you’re there.

Use the hose to rinse the mud off of your bike as best you can. In order to avoid ruining your rig, don’t spray high pressure water into areas that have bearings. The water can work its way in and wash the grease out.

You will notice 2 things in the photo below:

a) I am standing back away from the bike so the pressure isn’t too great.

b) This is just a normal hose, not a high pressure system (as compared to say the coin-operated car wash).

As I move in closer toward the bike and focus on the components, I reduce the pressure even more to turn the spray into more of a mist.

4. Scrub

Bust out those brushes pictured above and scrub your bike down. I recommend the big brush for the frame, the medium-sized brush with hard bristles for hard-to-reach places, and the small brush for components, especially the chain and cassette.

You can choose to use soap if you would like, as it will definitely help with greasy, hard to clean areas. However, if I’m aiming for a quick wash in under 15 minutes, I’ll skip the soap and just scrub and use water. It still works pretty well.

Make sure to get all of the hard-to-reach areas.

5. Clean the chain

Having a clean frame is nice, but where it really counts is with your drivetrain and other moving parts. Take special care to clean the chain well.

6. Clean the cassette and other components

Be sure to get all of the grime out of the cassette, and clean the chain rings and derailleurs carefully as well.

7. Skip the tires

Part of our goal is to get the bike clean in the shortest amount of time possible. Toward that end, skip scrubbing the tires. I will usually spray them down with the hose to knock the muck off, but I won’t bother scrubbing and detailing them. Really, what would be the point? The tires are the first thing to get dirty again, and having a little red stain from the local clay is not going to affect performance at all.

Focus on more important parts like the drivetrain.

8. Dry

Take care to dry your mountain bike off. If I’m going quickly, I usually focus on the chain, components, and other moving parts, and I bump my bike side-to-side in an effort to knock the water out of the heads of the bolts so that they don’t rust.

9. Lube

Immediately after you think your bike is adequately dry, do a full lube-job. Make sure to lube the chain well, in addition to all of the other moving parts such as your derailleurs. Be sure to wipe away the excess lube after it has had a few minutes to soak in.

10. Get your mountain bike dirty

Mountain bikes aren’t meant to be looked at or ridden on the pavement–they are supposed to be lovingly abused on a dirty singletrack trail! Go ride, get dirty, and go back to step #2!

Following this method, washing my bike usually takes under 15 minutes, with the lube job taking an additional 5 or so. This is fast, simple, and crucial to keeping your bike in good operating condition.

How do you go about washing your bike?

Wheels are what make a 29er a 29er and despite early reports, big wheel bikes aren’t just for cross-country riding anymore. So it makes perfect sense that component manufacturers are looking to beef up 29er wheel options for more aggressive all-mountain riders. Easton is leading the way with 29-inch versions of the venerable Haven series and over the last couple months I’ve been using and abusing the 2011 Haven 29″ wheelset.

Materials and Tech

The Haven 29″ rims are made from Easton’s proprietary aluminum alloy and are UST/clincher style which makes them perfect for rolling without tubes. In fact, Easton recommends using UST or tubeless-ready tires exclusively for best results (in my experience, finding 29er UST tires can be difficult but I suspect that will change). With a 21mm internal rim width, the Haven 29″ wheels can handle tires up to 2.5″ which is perfect for aggressive AM applications. I got a tight fit with both UST and tubeless-ready tires and didn’t burp a tire once over hundreds of miles of often gnarly singletrack (including the infamous Snake Creek Gap course – twice).

UST and tubeless wheels are often heavier than standard wheels due to the required rim strip but the Haven 29″ wheels do away with the need for a rim strip entirely, saving precious grams. The wheelset officially tips the scales at 1785 grams which, for burly 29er hoops, is downright airy. That’s just 65 grams heavier than the old XC Ones from Easton but if you factor in the weight of tubes (say, 200 grams each) you’ll end up SAVING more than 300 grams (assuming you’re able to run the same tires).

photo courtesy eastoncycling.com.

The Haven 29″ wheels are laced with Sapim black spokes (24 front / 28 rear) in a 3-cross pattern for maximum durability and stiffness (more on that later). The spokes are regular straight-pull spokes which makes the wheel easy to true and maintain. Every wheelset is hand-built by Easton using a proprietary “acoustic method” to check for true. Needless to say, mine showed up ready to roll. The hubs feature silky smooth cartridge bearings and sport distinctive machining and Haven graphics.

Axle options include standard 15mm through-axle and 9mm quick release configurations PLUS a 20mm version that’s new for 2011 (which I’ve been testing). And unlike many 29er wheelsets available today, the Haven 29″ wheels can also be configured with a 12×135/142 rear thru-axle (in addition to the standard quick release option). Clearly these wheels are ready for aggressive 29er AM and Trail bikes.

On the trail

I like testing mountain bike wheels over an extended period because it’s important to see how they wear over time – do they need constant tuning, how do they hold up to big hits and crashes, etc. As I mentioned in a previous 29er wheel review, I’ve destroyed two 29er wheelsets in the past couple years so it’s important to me to find big wheels that are lightweight yet durable enough for everyday abuse. I started testing these wheels mid-way through my 29 trails in 29 days challenge which allowed me to put on a season’s worth of mileage in less than 2 months.

First things first: these wheels are stiff, exactly what you’d expect from an AM wheelset but not necessarily from set of 29er hoops. And that’s a good thing – these stiff wheels offer precise control through turns and dodgy rock gardens and send big hits right to your suspension system rather than bending (and potentially fatiguing/breaking your spokes and rims). I was able to land 3-foot drops to flat landings with nary a ping or bend on my hardtail, something I hesitate to do with XC-specific wheels. To date the wheels have stayed true and flat-spot free – zero maintenance required.

The freehub pawl system offers quick engagement in my experience which is great for navigating skinnies and low clearance sections where power and wheel control are key. As I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, I’m not a big fan of super-clicky freehubs and along the spectrum I’d say the Haven 29″ hub is medium-clicky.

Overall impressions

Just looking at the Haven 29″ wheels you get the impression that this is a high quality product – from the hubs to the rims to the spokes, everything just looks and feels solid and well-built. My cassette slid on with ease for a solid fit, the thru-axle sits tight, and even the rear quick release lever is better than most. Yeah, the hubs are a little blingy and the rim graphics are over-sized but the neutral tones balance the overall look and feel.

At just 1785 grams, these UST/tubeless-ready all-mountain wheels should get the attention of the XC riders out there. And 29er AM and Trail riders can rejoice that the venerable Haven 29″ wheels are ready for black-diamond duty. At $925 MSRP for the set (front and rear wheels can also be purchased individually), the Haven 29″ wheels aren’t the cheapest but they’re easily some of the most versatile you’ll find. As Easton says on their website, “Yes, they’re that good.”

Thanks to the folks at Easton for providing the Haven 29″ wheels for review.

WTB offers the LaserDisc DH wheelset as a low-cost, lightweight alternative for gravity riders who ride hard. I posted a preview of this wheelset last winter and now I’m finally ready to give my full review after months of thrashing. I conducted my rides on some of the most demanding trails in Whistler and Vancouver, so these wheels took quite a pounding. To see how they fared, read on…

The Ride

The WTB LaserDisc DH wheels bolted onto my Banshee Legend MK II effortlessly and lowered my bike’s weight by over a pound. A quick parking lot test revealed a bike that had a livelier feel with faster acceleration. Dropping weight in the wheels means a lower rotational mass which is much more noticeable than weight reduction elsewhere on a bike. Needless to say, losing a full pound in wheel weight makes a big difference in the ride. Unless you’re already running a race-light wheelset, you will notice a difference too. These wheels may be light but I wanted to see how they would hold up against the world’s most demanding trails.

For the first month of testing I was surprised by how well these wheels held up. I pounded them on the rocky, pothole filled trails of Whistler and the Shore and they stayed straight and flat-spot free. I was surprised because normally I destroy wheels pretty quickly. Could these be the perfect DH wheels?

Well the LaserDisc’s are good but certainly not perfect. After a month of thrashing the rear wheel un-tensioned itself and I put a good sized flat spot in it. From this point on, the wheel de-tensioned, went out of true and flat spotted every 2 or 3 rides (after re-tensioning of course). The result is that I now have a rear wheel with 3 flat spots, some side to side wobble and loose spokes. The front wheel fared much better with just 1 minor flat spot. On a positive note, the hubs still run as fast and smooth as they did when they were new.

It may sound like these wheels didn’t hold up very well, but readers should know that I put much more strain on my equipment than the average rider. I have a plow-through­-everything-quickly mentality, am 6’3” 200lbs with riding gear, and I ride the roughest, rootiest, rockiest trails in Canada. These wheels held up well for a month, so they will likely hold up for a full season under a lighter, finesse rider who frequents smoother trails. As someone who is tough on bike equipment, I’m used to breaking stuff; replacing the rims (edit: and spokes) should make these wheels good as new since the spokes and hubs have held up well.

The Verdict

If you’re a privateer racer or performance-minded downhiller looking for a lightweight, inexpensive wheelset, consider the WTB LaserDisc DH. These wheels do well on smooth, pedal-friendly tracks, though they’re not quite up to steep, burley tracks because they’re so lightweight. They are not bombproof, but will add horsepower to your bike when pedaling. I can’t think of a lighter DH wheelset at this price point, making the WTB LaserDisc DH wheels a great buy for the right rider.

Thanks to WTB for the test product.

Syncros offers their FR wheelset to the DH/Freeride crowd as a high quality wheelset for a reasonable price. Back in the spring I previewed this wheelset so if you missed it or want to check out the specs, click here. Many of the top riders on the North Shore ride these wheels so I was excited to test them out for myself. My tests took place on the toughest, roughest trails in Whistler, on the North Shore and in Kelowna.

The Ride

The first thing you notice about these wheels is their distinctive styling – the white really pops out on the trail and in pictures and sets your bike apart from the rest. But as soon as you saddle up, what you’ll really appreciate is that the bearings roll fast and the hubs are smooth – and they remained so through the duration of my tests.

I tested these wheels under the most extreme conditions possible, mounting them on my Banshee Legend MKII and pounding them mercilessly on the rough, rock strewn, jump infested trails around Vancouver, British Columbia. I have a “plow through anything” mentality and at 6’3”, 195 lbs, my equipment takes far more abuse than the average rider dishes out. Given the extreme nature of the testing, the Syncros FR wheels held up fairly well.

I did my best to destroy these wheels. I rode them down steep rock faces, big jumps, rough landings and rock strewn race courses. They sustained some damage during testing but never catastrophically failed.

The front wheel still runs straight and true after 3 months of testing and only 1 spoke needed re-tensioning. Rear wheels always take more punishment than the front and this showed during testing. My first flat spot occurred early on but after tightening the spokes and straightening the rim, the wheel was good to good go for another month until I encountered a particularly nasty race course that resembled a dry riverbed. That trail, combined with a few more weeks on the shore and in Whistler, caused a couple more flat spots in the rear rim. By then the rim was pretty haggared and the flat spots caused the spokes to loosen prematurely.

The largest flat spot occurred at the seam which is pinned with no welding like some more robust wheels on the market. Welding the seam instead of just using sleeves would greatly increase the strength of this rim (but the trade-off is this would probably increase the price). That being said, I put these wheels through hell and they held up better than many other wheels I’ve tested.

The Verdict

If you’re looking for a relatively strong, middle-weight DH wheelset that won’t break the bank, consider the Syncros FR wheels. They aren’t nukeproof but will be plenty strong for the average downhiller or freerider. As long as you’re not casing lots of jumps or mindlessly plowing into rock gardens, these wheels should last a solid season or more.

Thanks to Syncros for providing these wheels for testing.

At this point I’ve ridden 240 miles in just under four weeks and the vast majority of those miles have been on singletrack. The conditions I’ve encountered along the way – ice, snow, mud, rocks, and rain – have been great for putting my gear to the test. Although I’m not ready to share full reviews of these components yet, I thought I’d give an update on how everything is holding up so far.

SRAM X0 2×10 Drivetrain

I debated about switching over to the SRAM X0 2×10 drivetrain before my Durango to Moab ride over the summer but I just didn’t have enough time to get everything installed. I really wish I had done it sooner because I could have used a few more gears on some of those steeper high altitude climbs.

Over the past 26 days of my 29 Trail quest I’ve ridden all kinds of trails – from fast, flowy big ring stuff to steep, slippery granny gear climbs – and I’ve found that somehow I always have the gears I need to keep moving. In fact, on many trails I’ve been forcing myself to stay out of the smaller ring for as long as possible because I know it will make me a stronger rider (plus once I go small on a ride, I typically stay there far too long).

Georgia horse trails can be muddy in winter.

The challenge has been pretty rough on my drivetrain as you can see from the photo above (there’s a front derailleur somewhere under all that mud). The rear derailleur has frozen solid twice with a thick coating of ice that restricted the overall movement to just a few gears. But thawed out, everything was back to normal. I’ve also managed to pick up a number of sticks in the rear derailleur on seasonally neglected trails and every time the X0 has snapped back to normal (despite giving me a scare or two).

I’ve already de-greased my cassette twice during the 29 Trail challenge (something I typically do just a few times a year) and I can’t count the number of times I’ve cleaned and lubed my chain, partly due to conditions but also due to the mileage I’m putting in. All the SRAM stuff goes on and off smoothly so it’s easy to maintain and looks brand new and shiny after it’s all cleaned up.

SRAM X0 Hydraulic Brakes

These are the best hydraulic disc brakes I’ve ever used on a mountain bike. The X0 brakes were super easy to install and I haven’t had a single issue with them over hundreds of miles of riding (even before the challenge started). I love the lever “snap” I get when I release the brakes and the quiet operation on the trail. I did manage to freeze the brakes during my ride at Dawson Forest after running the calipers through deep water but that’s what happens when you play with water in freezing temps…

Easton Haven 29er Wheels

I just managed to get these wheels installed for trail #11 of the 29 Day challenge but man, I wish I had done it sooner. The Haven 29ers are well constructed and mega strong yet they’re still lightweight enough for a mainly-XC guy like myself. Pinging off rocks at Cheaha State Park and bouncing over the granite at the 1996 Olympic course, these wheels performed like seasoned pros.

Beyond the blingy good looks and solid construction, the Haven 29er wheels are UST compatible which is a big plus for a lot of riders. Until this point I hadn’t gone all in with tubeless mountain bike tires but the owner’s manual convinced me to go for it (Easton recommends tubeless ready or UST tires only). What a difference! On a hardtail the ability to run lower pressures without fear of pinch flatting is reason enough but there’s also the simplicity of the whole thing that appeals to me. I love these wheels so far!

Other Stuff

A set of UST wheels is pretty much a waste without compatible tires so I’ve been experimenting with the Maxxis Ardent LUST 2.3 29er tires and the Hutchinson Pythons. I also have a Specialized “The Captain” 2Bliss tire waiting in the wings that I can’t wait to test.

Before the start of the challenge I also lopped a few centimeters off my Answer Pro Taper Carbon bars and added ODI Ruffian lock-on grips (my first set of lock-ons). The grips are working really well – no slippage in wet conditions – though I do wish they had a little more padding. Hey, at least they’re lightweight!

My GPS, however, hasn’t fared quite as well. To be fair, this unit is 3 or 4 years old now and has been smashed in the car door a time or two, but it still works great (except for the fact that I need to use my smallest allen wrench to access the stop and lap buttons). The rubber band is there because the handlebar clip broke long ago.

Pulling off 29 Trails in 29 Days is a physical and mental struggle but without reliable gear it would be nearly impossible. Case in point: I nearly freaked out after stripping my crank threads on trail #7, worrying about how I would get to 29 with my bike stuck in the shop. Thanks to the guys at Andy Jordan’s it was a quick fix but that’s not always the case with repairs. Being able to jump on the bike whenever there’s a clear day is crucial so I’m thankful all my gear is holding up so well!

Thanks to the folks at SRAM and Easton for providing components for review.